


Dancing Here Under The Fluorescents

by OfMirthAndTears



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mild Language, One-Shot, Prom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-01
Updated: 2013-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-03 05:25:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1066277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfMirthAndTears/pseuds/OfMirthAndTears
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally  breathed in deeply, letting Dick’s scent of expensive cologne fill his very being and soul. Dancing there under the stars and cheap fluorescent bulbs, surrounded by nobody but themselves. . . This was right. </p><p>Here no one would ever tell him otherwise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dancing Here Under The Fluorescents

Wally West stared at his reflection, frowning at he patted down haphazard red strands of hair. Half an hour working on it and it just would not stay down. He groaned and threw himself backwards onto the bed, hands covering his face.

“Wally! Wally, come on! You’re going to be late!” Mrs West poked her head into the room. “Good god, what are you doing?! Boy, sit up!” 

She hurried into the small space and wrenched him up. “You’re going to crease your suit,” she scolded, roughly pulling the suit back into presentable condition.

“Mom,” Wally whined, scooting back from his mother’s groping hands. “Let go, it looks fine!”

The woman ignored him. “And what did you do to your hair?”

“Nothing!”

His mother scowled at him. “Well, never mind now. You have to go, it’s almost eight.” 

Wally sighed. Guess the hair would have to just make do. He cast one more look over himself in the mirror before he dutifully followed his mother out of the room. Coming down the stairs, he winced as Rudolph clapped him on the back and made some loud general statement about coming into “manhood” or some bullshit like that. 

“Come on,” he muttered. “Would you stop?”

Rudolph West grinned at his son, mustache bristling over puffy lips. “Nonsense! It’s my boy’s special night. Gotta be supportive, right?’

“Yeah, but could you just not – “

He was cut off by the sharp ring of the doorbell. 

“Oh, that must be her!” His mother trilled, and hurried over to the door. She threw it open and practically sang out, “Oh, you must be Wally’s date!” 

Artemis Crock smiled coolly from outside. “I’m the only girl out here, so I must be. Hello, Mrs. West.” She nodded at Rudolph. "Mr. West."

Rudolph let out another booming laugh and pounded Wally on the back again. “Well, pardon my French, but damn, son! Didn’t mention she was so beautiful! Wally hasn’t had a girl over in years,” he told Artemis, tone betraying his embarrassment only slightly. “This is very big for him. We were worried that he wouldn’t get a date for prom.”

Artemis laughed, but her eyes remained cold-gray daggers. “I can’t say that I’m surprised. Hey, Baywatch.”

Wally didn’t think he could get any redder. 

“I guess you should get going,” Mrs. West exclaimed, checking her phone. She looked at Wally, practically glowing with pride. “Pictures first. Ah, my baby boy and his first date! So exciting. Here, just stand there, no, no Rudolph, get out of the photo.” She snapped a photo, Wally feeling horribly aware of the way his arms were resting around Artemis’ slim waist. “Maybe one more?”

“Let’s not!” Wally said loudly, immediately yanking his arms from around Artemis. “We really have to go.” He allowed his mother to give him a bone-crushing hug as he hurried the blonde out of the door, and caught glimpse of Rudolph’s big-thumbs up before he slammed the door shut.

“I’m so sorry about that,” Wally muttered to Artemis as they walked down the street.

“No problem.” Artemis flashed him a sly smile. “It was sweet!”

“Yeah, sweet.” Wally scratched the back of his head. “And, uh, thank you for standing in for, uh – “

“Don’t thank me,” Artemis said, much more serious than before. “It was nothing. Really. I understand that not all families are as…understanding as others. Some friends of my family were ridiculously stiff when I came out. That is, until my father knocked some sense into them. He might be a terrible person, but at least he’s open-minded.” 

They laughed.

“Where’s he meeting you?” Artemis asked when their giggles subsided. 

“Uh, just up here, I think-oh.” His voice became very faint. “There he is.” 

Dick Grayson was leaning up against a bus stop sign, scrolling through his phone and dark hair falling casually into his blue eyes. He looked up as the two of them approached and his face split into a grin. 

“Well, don’t you too look adorable!”

“Oh, shut up,” Artemis said, giving the smaller boy a light shove. “Just get Baywatch away from me, okay?” 

"I can certainly try." Dick smirked. "You going to the dance?” 

Artemis snorted. ‘”Hell no. I wouldn’t be caught dead at one of those things. I got myself a date. So, later, bitches!” She shot Wally a look that clearly said “Don’t fuck this up, kid” before she flounced away. A car was waiting for her on the other side of the street. Wally could see Zatanna Zatara siting in the front seat, jamming out to some generic pop music, and as Artemis slid into the passenger seat, she leaned over to give the blonde a kiss.

Wally looked away from the two girls, cheeks reddening, and instead turned his attention to Dick. The other boy’s slender frame was buttoned into a form-fitting suit made of some silky material. Wally didn’t want to think about how much the clothes cost, let alone the leather shoes and cufflinks. He suddenly felt under dressed in his second-hand bought suit and cheap tie. He smoothed down his hair self-consciously. 

“Don’t!” Dick laughed, a sound that send a jolt through Wally. “It looks nice all…messy.”

Wally felt something stir deep in his chest and knew he was in trouble. 

: : : 

Happy Harbor High School was done up for the night, fairy lights twinkling in oak trees and silver streamers hanging off of bushes lining the walkway to the gym. Wally could hear music booming from inside. 

“It looks nice, huh?” Dick remarked, strolling alongside Wally, hands in his pockets. 

Wally’s mouth was like sandpaper. He could only manage, “Yeah, nice.”

A girl’s shrill squeal broke the silence between the two boys. “Wally! Dick!” 

Megan Morse was hurrying towards them, teetering in tall heels as she dragged a hulking form along by an arm. 

“Wow! You two look fantastic!” She said, breathlessly. 

“Thanks!” Wally was relieved for the extra company. “You as well, m’lady.”

Megan laughed, red curls bouncing everywhere as her thin frame shook. Wally grinned at Conner Kent, who was looking increasingly more and more awkward as Megan clutched at his arm.

“You okay there, buddy?” Wally asked teasingly.

“Suits too big,” Conner muttered, looking down at his feet. “It was my dad’s.”

“Well it looks great on you!” Dick chimed in from next to Wally. “Shows off those biceps.” He cracked a smile at the taller teen, who grunted humorlessly back. 

“Oh, there’s Karen!” Megan gasped. “I’m going to go say hi. Come on, Conner!” 

Wally offered Conner an apologetic look as the dark-haired boy was dragged away by his girlfriend. 

“They look happy,” Dick mused. 

“Yeah,” Wally quietly agreed. He shot a look at Dick, whose profile was silhouetted in silver light. “Uh, should we head in?” He hesitantly offered an arm out. .

Dick looked at him, an uncharacteristically shy smile now gracing his features. He wrapped a lean arm around Wally’s. 

“Let’s boogie.”  
: : :  
School dances, as it turned out, kind of sucked. At least in Wally’s perspective. After the stereo system gave out, someone hooked up an ipod to their car radio and started blaring some music by a rap artist Wally had never even heard of, and didn’t care enough to ask about. 

He was too busy trying to ignore the numerous couples grinding into each other in a synchronized, slow beat. 

Before long, he found himself near the food table. Dick had disappeared a few minutes ago to use the restroom, and Wally was growing increasingly more and more bored. He joined a solemn looking Kaldur by the punch bowl and poured himself a glass. 

“I would not do that,” Kaldur said just as Wally raised the glass to his lips. “Cameron Mahkent mixed some illegal substances into it some time ago. It would prove unwise to drink it."

“Illegal substances might be the only think that can help me survive this thing,” Wally muttered, but nevertheless, lowered the cup. “No date, Kaldur?”

Kaldur smiled mirthlessly. “No. I, uh – “ He looked across the dance floor, where Wally could see a girl with cropped red-hair dancing with a pale, dark-haired boy in blue. 

Wally cringed. “Sorry, buddy. I know it’s hard.” 

The dark-skinned teenager nodded, biting his lower lip as he frowned. Megan emerged from the crowd to bob up and down next to Kaldur. 

“You talking about Garth and Tula?” She swayed back and forth, blinkly blearily at Wally and Kaldur. “ Yeah, they are so cute! Oh, sorry!” She cried, throwing hands over her mouth, eyes flying open in horror. “Oh my god, Kaldur, I am so – “

“Megan!” Conner charged out from behind his girlfriend. Wally noted his flushed cheeks and undone belt almost instantly. “You disappeared right after we- ah – “ The back of his neck burned red. “Just…don’t drink anymore punch, okay?”

Megan saluted him. “Aye aye, cap’n.”

Conner sighed and then turned to Wally. “Dick’s looking for you. Something about the back gardens.”

Wally’s heart stopped. “O-okay.” His feet moved without him telling them to move, he couldn’t stop, could only drift through the crowds towards the back entrance. From somewhere to his right, he could hear someone screaming , someone cheering and clapping in time with the music. 

Just. Keep. Walking. 

Stop. 

The back garden was festooned with lights in shades of red and yellow. A violin was playing – from where, Wally did not know. The tune sounded classical until Wally really listened and realized, with a chuckle, that it was a cover of the Halo theme song. In the center of the garden was a gazebo, adorned with ivy and flowers that should not be blossoming this late, Wally thought, for it was still February and those were surely flowers for late spring.

The effect of it all was pretty, if rather effeminate.

(Wally still liked it.)

Dick was waiting for him on the first step leading up to the gazebo. 

“Bit fancy, huh?” Wally said, pushing away all feelings of doubt and smiling brightly. 

“You can afford to be a bit fancy when your dad is Bruce Wayne," Dick said snootily. 

“Damn rich people.” Wally sniggered. He looked up at the gazebo. "Love the fluorescent lights, by the way."

Dick made a face. "The school told me that if I got rid of them, I'd be expelled. I tried to cover them with colored paper, but apparently that's a fire hazard." He sighed dramatically. "But anyway." Dick suddenly smirked at Wally. “So, Kid Mouth.” His lips quirked at the childhood nickname. “Wanna dance or what?”

Wally pondered this. “I think I’ve got enough time in my schedule for one dance.” He accepted Dick’s outstretched hand. 

“Well,” Dick said seriously, sweeping the redhead into proper position with all the grace of a Wayne. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to settle for just one.”

Wally let out a breath of air that he didn’t know he’d been holding in. “You know, neither can I.”

They spun there on the spot, slowly revolving in each other’s arms, Dick slowly guiding Wally through the steps. Sweet music flowed through the trees and around the patio and Wally felt like time was slowing to a crawl. He couldn’t think, could barely speak, because this was. . . 

All his life, Wally West had been told who to be and what to do in his life. Told what was proper for him to act like, told what he’d be doing in college, without anyone ever consulting him about what he wanted. When he was six, Rudolph had taken him aside and told him, gruffly, that little Tomas Caldwell from school wasn’t allowed to be his friend anymore, all because he had two mothers. Wally could still feel the cold ring Rudolph always wore digging into his cheek, back from when Wally – his seventh grade mind telling him, surely, he would understand – that he thought Adam McCromwell was cute. Still heard the screaming of his mother. . . 

That day, Rudolph West ceased being his dad and transcended into a being that purely existed, but meant nothing to Wally. 

But here – 

Wally breathed, letting Dick’s scent of expensive cologne fill his mind. Dancing there under the stars and cheap fluorescent bulbs, surrounded by nobody but themselves. . . This was right. 

Here no one could ever tell him otherwise.


End file.
